Hide and Seek
by Yesm777
Summary: A psycho is threatening the safety of Cal's team. Can Cal find them in time? Eli whump warning.
1. Drama

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me."_**

_Author's Note: Hey, everybody... Yay! Another new story! :D Hopefully you guys like this one...Of course, it will only improve after this chapter. :)_**_  
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**1. Drama**

Cal munched groggily on his toast. He didn't hate mornings; he just disliked them…a lot. Although, it was mostly because he would linger at the office until late, and then expect himself to get up at a reasonable hour. Now he would have to face the stubborn Torres and ridiculous Eli. Of course, he could never blame Foster for the pointless office shenanigans. Well, except for eating chocolate pudding in the morning and drinking massive slushies. Alright, so they were all a little taste of annoying adventure…including himself.

His phone buzzed against the kitchen counter, starting his day with an unwelcome lurch. Now who wanted his precious attention? He picked up the phone and opened the text message, hoping it was either Emily or Gillian

He didn't expect this.

_Hello, Dr. Lightman. How is your toast?_

Cal stared at the message, shock washing his brain. His toast slipped from his fingers, landing on the counter with a soft _plop_. He anxiously glanced around, out the windows and in nearby rooms; Cal couldn't be sure if the stranger was in or out of his house. If this was a joke, it was a bloody bad one.

He was about to reply to the message, but another buzz pulsed through his phone. Cal didn't waste time in opening the second message.

_Good to see I've got your attention. Open your front door._

He hesitated where he stood, taking another look around before he sprinted towards the door. Cautiously, he looked over his shoulder, then carefully twisted the knob and pulled the door open. A neatly wrapped, brown-paper package sat on the doorstep, waiting to be snatched and ripped open eagerly.

Cal obliged.

He tore the brown paper into confetti in his haste, unveiling a white box. Cal didn't care if his neighbors were staring, or their families, or their freakin' pooches. He was focused on that white box.

What did it mean?

Sinking further into the house, he pulled the box open to reveal a note and a manila envelope. He retrieved the note and held it closer to read.

_Dr. Lightman,_

_Let's play a game. I like to act and I want to test my skills. You are an expert at reading people and I'd love your critical eye. I'll approach you each day with one or two new roles and I want you to try and figure out who I am. I won't make it easy and I've arranged incredible incentive to motivate you._

_ I know about your "toolbox" of people. The longer it takes for you to find me…let's just say your team will migrate to a certain medical center. When you run out of "tools," I win! Doesn't this sound exciting?_

_ Put forth some real effort._

_P.S. Let's start with the small fry._

Cal took a shaky breath as he pulled the glossy paper out of the manila envelope. What met his gaze was a photo…

Of Eli.

He was walking to his car with a phone to his ear, clearly clueless to the fact he was being photographed. In metallic, silver pen, a small message was written:

_Bye bye, Eli_.

Cal's heart was beating quickly as he stared at the image. He had to get to work; he had to see for himself if Eli was okay. He'd have to keep his worry and his one-sided communication with a psychopath from Torres and Foster. Ignoring his toast and forgetting his suit jacket, he rushed out of the house and towards the car.

Right now he just had to get to the office.

* * *

Gillian took a sip of her tea and sat down daintily in her office chair. Eli wasn't here yet, but she didn't let it bother her; he'd probably come in with some extremely honest excuse which didn't really justify his tardiness but somehow passed it off as okay. For all she knew, he could've possibly tripped and spilled coffee all over his sweater vest and went home to change. It was either that or he would say he didn't feel like coming in, but went anyway. At least Torres was here.

Her phone buzzed loudly on her desk, nearly causing her to choke on her tea from surprise. She chuckled to herself as she proceeded to open the text, the name reading 'Eli.'

"There we go." she muttered quietly, sipping a little tea.

_I won't be in today._

_

* * *

_

The tires screamed as Cal eagerly pulled into his usual parking spot. He sighed in an attempt to alleviate some of the stress, but wasn't surprised when he found himself panicking still. Cal pushed the door open and got out of the car immediately, slamming the car door just as he spun around. He found himself jogging towards the workplace, glancing warily around him. Lightman slowed just as he came to the door, just so he wouldn't raise any suspicion. He stepped through the threshold, trying to suppress his heavy breathing.

"Dr. Lightman!"

Cal turned to see a woman walking quickly towards him, held back by her heels. She had shimmery chestnut hair and a neat, pinstriped women's suit on.

"Yeah?" he breathed, hiding his attempts to catch his breath.

"Hi…I'm Stacy." she introduced, holding out her hand. He ignored it, eyeing her impatiently. She caught the drift and nervously lowered her hand. "Uh…um…I'm doing a paper on micro expressions and I was hoping I could get an interview with you. I mean, you are an expert and all…" Cal sighed heavily, irritated at this interruption in his urgent task of finding Eli.

"Sorry, but I don't do interviews." he said quickly, hoping it was a good enough excuse. "Now, I'm a bit busy, so if you could just run along, that'd be great." She look horrified, but he didn't care. Cal turned away from her and headed to the analysis room, fully aware that the company secretary was giving him a shocked stare. It shouldn't have been new to her that he had a mean streak anyway.

Ria emerged from the analysis room, casually looking at a case file.

"Oi!" She turned to look at him immediately, waiting for him to give her some sort of order. "Is Loker in today?" Ria looked confused, but she didn't question his intentions.

"No…He sent Foster a text that he wasn't coming in today." she replied, closing the file slowly.

"Why is that?" he probed. "The bloke sick?" Ria smiled nervously and Cal could see her wondering if Eli had done something wrong.

"I don't know; Foster didn't say."

Cal stood pondering this for a moment, tilting his head to the side as he thought. Was there something more to this? Ria was motionless as she watched Lightman and his seemingly relaxed, thoughtful look.

"Get back to work!" he yelled, walking past her. She hesitantly stood still, unsure of what to think of this encounter. "Go on, get!" She shrugged and moved on, reopening the folder and continuing in her analysis of the information. Cal was headed in a new direction: Gillian's office. It wasn't like Loker not to gush on why he wasn't coming in or why he was late. He had to be sure of what that text said. He rounded straight into Gillian's office, not bothering to slow until he pressed his hands against the desktop.

"Where's Loker?" he inquired, wanting to get straight to the point instead of all this dawdling. It was _agonizing_.

"Oh, he won't be in today. He sent me a text." she explained, scribbling something on a paper. "Why? What'd he do now?"

"Nothin', just curious." Cal replied abruptly, plopping into a chair. "Did he happen to say why?"

"Nope; it was pretty much straight to the point." she muttered, continuing in whatever she was doing.

"What exactly did it say?" he asked. She sighed and pulled out her phone.

"Look for yourself." she told him irritably. He took the phone from her and went to the last text, opening it up and reading the simple message inside. Definitely not like Loker. But, maybe he was being paranoid. Maybe Loker was embarrassed, for once, of the reason why. Or maybe he was just too tired or sick to care. Yeah, that had to be it. It was an explainable anomaly.

"Alright…" he mumbled, handing Gillian her phone. She smirked as she returned to her work and Cal exited her office. He strolled down the hallway, observing the tasks of his employees as ideas ran through her head.

He just couldn't shake away the bad feeling.

Maybe Eli wasn't sick. Maybe that wasn't even his fingers that wrote out that text.

"Dr. Lightman!"

Cal turned, seeing a desperate old man, clutching his cap in his hands. Cal remembered the note he read this morning. _…one or two new roles…_ He looked the old man over, trying to find some reason to name him as the psycho. No, his brain was just drawing insane conclusions. He was old, innocent, honest man.

"I fear…I fear my son is stealing from me; I just want to know if it's the truth." the man muttered. Cal narrowed his gaze looking for the correct signs that this man was, in fact, troubled. He was.

"Um..I'm just a little busy right now, but one of my employees is just as capable to handle your case." Cal informed the man, looking around for Ria. Just as she came from the break room, he was quick to nab her.

"Torres! I have a case for you!" he called. Her eyebrows knit together in irritation and puzzlement, but she approached Lightman and the elderly man anyway.

"This man wants to know if his son is stealing from him or not." he explained, glancing around in an attempt to find anyone that even remotely looked like a psycho. Ria paused to examine Cal's strange behavior, looking worried that he finally cracked.

"Uh…right this way, sir. We can talk about it in the conference room." she said politely, sending concerned glances in Lightman's direction. Cal took a deep breath as he turned and headed for his own office, needing some place to hide out and think for awhile. He still hadn't decided whether or not Eli was actually abducted, or if he was just using up a sick day. Cal pulled out his phone and proceeded to call Loker, making it just inside his office when the ringing on the other end started. He closed the door as he waited for someone to pick up, praying silently that it was all a misunderstanding.

Nobody answered.

Cal's heart steadily beat faster, his insides curling inwards. Immediately, he tried to convince himself that there was a completely logical answer for this lack of activity on Eli's end. A text message vibrated his cell phone. He took a deep breath as he opened it, fearing every horrible possibility and giving in to the very logical paranoia that ailed him. It was from Eli, but his heart sunk as he read the words.

_Just wait for it, Dr. Lightman_.

Wait for what? What did that mean?

"Dr. Lightman? This just came for you."

The company secretary was peeking through the door, holding out a manila envelope with his name on it. He was reluctant to take it, but he slowly retrieved it from her fingers and quickly excused her from his office. Cal stared at the envelope, afraid of what was contained inside. His shaky fingers found themselves within the envelope, pulling the papers out. A note was covering a large photo and his eyes skimmed right through the note, eager to know what become of Eli Loker.

_Hopefully, you've realized by now that Mr. Loker is missing._

Cal's brow stitched together in fear while the note slid from the photo and fluttered to the floor.

"Bloody hell, Loker. What did I get you into?"

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_Author's Note: How was it? Please review! ._


	2. Overstuffed Encounter Quota

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me"...but I'd be overjoyed if they used for show ideas. :)_**

_Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! I have so much going on this summer! Not nearly as dead as my winter schedule... Please have patience with me. :( Also, I may not be able to get in another chapter for two weeks! I'll be out of town. Perhaps I can slip in another chapter after one week. :) Thanks for all the reviews and feedback from the first chapter! This next one is also a filler...but it's building. Let it build, then watch it roll. :) Love ya, guys. Proceed to read! :D_**_  
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**2. Overstuffed Encounter Quota**

Cal had been staring at the photo for the past half hour. He was disturbed, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from it. Cal's team was now prey to a psycho.

Eli was already in bad shape.

The photo was enough to make the grown man shiver. Eli was duct taped to a chair, his head hanging limply against his chest. Lightman remembered the collared shirt he wore being blue, but now it was a musty grey, splattered with crimson. Red was crusted down his visible cheek and his shirt was unbuttoned to show a white undershirt. It wasn't white anymore. A sanguine patch sunk into the shoulder fabric and other drops had found their way across the front. The skin Cal could see was pale, despite the dim lighting of the room. For all he knew, Eli could be dead.

Now, his mind struggled with a decision: should he tell Gillian? Or not?

If he told her, there was nothing she could do…except worry. They had no clue where Loker was and there was no way for them to find him. But, if he told her, maybe she could help identify the psycho, even if she wasn't as much of an expert as Cal.

No, he couldn't tell her.

He wouldn't be able to handle her tears. Cal already blamed himself. Now, he would just have to pay more attention… and get out of his office. He had to give the psychopath a chance to approach him because he just _had_ to get Eli back…_alive._ Cal could wait until he had Eli safe in a hospital before he told either Foster or Torres about the lunatic. He just wanted to postpone the panicking until it was an appropriate time to deal with it properly. Cal just couldn't comfort Gillian while he was going insane himself.

Lightman strolled out of his office putting on his best nonchalant expression to hide his worry. But that didn't stop the thoughts from rolling around in his head. How long had they had Eli? How much longer would they keep him? What sort of person should Lightman be looking for? He didn't know. He _couldn't _know. Cal didn't even have a face to read and look for the answer.

"Cal? You look a little pale."

Lightman whirled around to see Foster eyeing him worriedly. He hadn't counted on the lack of skin pigmentation, but he could still play it off.

"It's nothing, love. Probably just need a bit more sun." he muttered casually. She held suspicion in her features, but she left it alone anyway.

"Um…well, there's somebody wanting to see you at the desk." she told him while eyeing him closely. Cal sighed and rolled his eyes.

"If it's that bloody student tryin' to get an interview outta me—"

"What? No, no, it's not that." Foster corrected quickly. "That woman stormed out an hour ago, at least."

"Hm. Alright, I'll go take a look then." Cal muttered, turning and heading towards the front desk. He could hear Gillian's heels click away to her office, having conveyed her message and completed the task at hand. Cal allowed himself to slouch for a short while, weighed down by a ton of thoughts and worries. What was he doing? He couldn't let himself be distracted by the bad fortunes of the day. For now, he had to wave them away and concentrate. He straightened up again and approached the front, seeing a young blonde waiting in a cushy seat and shyly chatting with the receptionist.

"Oh! Dr. Lightman! This is Susie, she's been waiting for you." the receptionist explained happily, having enjoyed her conversation with the young woman.

"I don't mean to interrupt your work," the blonde began, her voice soft and bashful. "but my father had left a note about seeing a Dr. Lightman. He thinks my brother is stealing from him even though my brother actually died three years ago." She paused for a moment, examining his expression fearfully. "He's an old, senile man; I hope you will forgive him!" Cal stared at her for a moment, almost finding it unbelievable that this young lady thought her father was _troubling _him. Most days it would; but, today, this small disturbance was relief from the greater problem that truly ailed him. He smiled and shook his head, easing her nervousness.

"I'll go get your old man." he said simply, striding off to the conference room. Ria looked slightly surprised when Lightman abruptly opened the door.

"You're daughter is here to get you." Cal droned in a bored tone, lazily looking at the elderly man. Torres looked puzzled and slightly peeved at the odd happenings around the workplace. Of course, Cal didn't care. Her problems were her problems; he was already dragging around his own.

"I don't…understand…" the old man mumbled slowly. "Why is Susie here?" Despite his confusion, he stood and followed Lightman out the door. Torres curiously followed, catching up to Lightman quickly.

"What is going on here?" she hissed, not wanting to alarm her previous client.

"The son he claims is stealing from him is dead." Lightman answered, not even bothering to lower his voice. "I think he's having a bit of a…moment."

"Poor guy." Torres whispered, staring at the floor while the trio entered into the lobby.

"Dad! What are you doing here? We need to get you home!" Susie chattered worriedly as she ran forward and put a loving hand on the man's back.

"But, I need to know if—"

"Dad, William isn't stealing from you; he loves you. Come on, let's get you home and I'll make you a cup of herbal tea." she promised. Cal frowned a bit. Hopefully, Susie was aware that she was lying in front of lie detection experts.

As Susie guided her father out of the office, she looked over her shoulder and mouthed 'thank you.' Torres folded her arms and watched them go while Lightman's head ran in circles.

Loker.

Psycho.

Loker.

Psycho.

The same thoughts ran through his mind, spinning around like a washing machine. Perhaps it was time to get some coffee. Ria sighed beside him.

"Too bad Eli isn't here. He would've contributed sympathy for the old man, unlike a certain person I know." Ria teased. Cal wasn't in the mood for a casual joke, but he wasn't going to show it. Oh, he had sympathy, but it wasn't for the old man.

"I'm sure Foster will supply you with all the sympathy and pity you want." he mumbled, smiling slightly before heading out the office.  
"Where are you going?" she called after him, but hardly bothering to follow.

"To get some coffee." he replied, and pushed his way out the door.

* * *

Cal sipped at his coffee, sitting on a bench outside while he watched the poor, lying suckers of the world pass him by. He could identify the plethora of lies that stared him in the face, but he couldn't find a single psychopath. He couldn't find the one liar he wanted.

"Heel, Rex! Heel!"

Cal turned his head to see a scruffy young man with dark hair trying to rein in an eager Golden Retriever. He was having trouble keeping the canine at a slower pace and the unfortunate owner found himself being pulled helplessly along. The dog stopped in front of Cal, sniffing his shoes with interest.

"No, Rex! Leave the poor man alone!" the man ordered, pulling on the leash. Cal watched the pooch without a word, waiting for the pet and his owner to get things together and move on.

"I'm sorry; he's such a big dog and I'm still trying to train him properly." the man huffed, tugging at the leash casually. Cal examined the stranger with a focused stare, trying to look for any indication that this was who he was looking for. But his loving look towards the dog was too real for a mentally disturbed human being. Nope, this one was a normal civilian.

"It's alright." Cal grumbled, taking another gulp of coffee. The man finally pulled his dog away from Lightman and continued to be dragged behind the enthusiastic pooch. Something bumped Cal's foot.

"Woah!" a man exclaimed as he stumbled, raising his eyebrows as he realized he'd just

tripped on Lightman. "Sorry 'bout that. Guess I should watch where I'm goin'…" he laughed nervously, a Southern accent slipping out. The look of surprise was short, meaning it was genuine. He couldn't be the one that held Eli prisoner, even if Cal wished him to be.

Lightman hadn't noticed how many strangers he ran into each day and it was disheartening to discover there were far too many to easily pick out a lunatic from among them. Either that, or the one person was a master of disguise and beyond a better actor than what Cal originally supposed. Perhaps this mad man was as great as Cal at putting on a good show. No, that couldn't be. He could've picked out miniscule details anyway. So far, he hadn't seen a single person that looked to be hiding an _identity._

Loker was screwed.

That is…if he wasn't dead already.

The mystery man did say that Cal's kidnapped team members would end up in "a certain medical center," but could Lightman really trust a person that found joy in torturing people to motivate a player in a sick game? No, he couldn't. He most definitely could not cough up that trust. Hope was all he had to hold onto.

A hope that Eli Loker wasn't dead yet.

A hope that he would find the psychopath before he got to Torres, or perhaps…

Gillian.

Cal just couldn't bring himself to think of Gillian in Loker's position. His confidant and long-time friend, duct taped to a chair? It wasn't right. But, what was Loker thinking about? What did he think of Cal right now? Did he hate him? Did he trust him?

Cal stood from the bench, having drained his coffee while deep in thought. He threw it away in a random sidewalk trash can and started to walk back to his office. A bickering couple stole his attention as they passed by him, seriously deep in a hot debate.

"No, you never appreciate _anything_ I do!" the woman shouted loudly, using her hands to solidify how upset she was.

"Oh, don't act as if you're so supportive of _me_!" the man scoffed, full rage flared up in his eyes as he shook his head. Cal gazed at them as they passed by, catching the man's eye immediately.

"Now, what are _you_ looking at? You think eavesdropping is fun?" the man yelled to Cal as he continued his trek back to work and rolled his eyes.

"Couples." he grumbled under his breath. They might as well be the lunatic in two different bodies.

* * *

"I hope we'll get a case soon." Ria sighed as she walked beside her bosses in the parking garage. Usually she walked with Eli to her car, but he was obviously absent from his task.

"We've got cases." Lightman muttered, as though he was bothered by Torres's comment.

"Yeah, small cases. I need a bigger case! All these small jobs get a little...boring." Ria complained.

"I know what you mean." Foster laughed. "It's so hard to find excitement in the less important cases."

"Right." Torres agreed with a small smile. Tires screeched in the distance, causing Cal to pause in his step and listen closely. His paranoia was getting worse as the day wore on, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"What's the matter, Cal?" Gillian inquired, casting a worried glance at the scientist.

"I hear something…" he mumbled, straining his ears as more rubber screams echoed around the parking garage, though closer this time.

A white, windowless van skidded around the bend, heading straight for the trio. Immediately, they jumped back to avoid getting mowed down by the vehicle, but became puzzled when it halted in front of them. The side door slid open to reveal a black clad, masked person, fetching gasps of fear from the women. They watched as the mysterious figure grabbed a limp heap and threw it a few feet out of the van. Cal's eyes followed the abandoned pile to the ground, his face pulling into shock as he realized what it was.

Eli.

The door slid closed with a slam and the van was back to speeding through the parking garage.

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_Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Now, let's get some excitement going, eh? :D Please review? Pleeeeeeeeeeeease? :)_


	3. Truth

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: I'm back! :D My vacation was fantastic and thanks for your patience as well as your enthusiasm. Again, kind of a filler chapter...but I hope you guys like it anyway. :) Please review!**  
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**3. Truth**

Gillian took such a sharp breath, Cal was sure she just had a heart attack. He was certain he almost did. It took a good full minute before Cal could shake himself out of the shock and analyze the new situation. Ria was completely stunned, frozen to her spot and gazing with disbelief at the scene before her; Gillian had her hands to her mouth, her eyes swimming with the unmade decision of whether this was an unpleasant dream or not. Before they knew it, they were drenched in disturbing realization.

"Oh my—Eli!" Gillian yelped worriedly, immediately dropping to her knees. Ria was next to her in a second, although hesitant to touch Eli at all. Foster carefully turned him over to his back, her hands shaking with the contact.

"Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…" Ria muttered in a quiet prayer while her hands hovered over the battered body of her coworker. He was in shreds; slashes raked across his chest and a hefty gash was set near his temple. He was bruised most elsewhere and other cuts littered his skin with sickening multiplicity. Cal's stare settled on a manila envelope duct taped to what was salvaged of Eli's shirt.

It had his name on it.

Even in their distraught state, neither of the women would miss that small detail.

"Cal?" Foster asked, her eyes swimming with betrayal and curiosity. No words came to his mouth and he found himself struggling to think of what to say. He gazed at her, gaping, with an apologetic look in his eyes. With a moment of disappointment, Foster quickly returned to worrying over Eli and taking care of the situation.

"Torres, call 9-1-1." she ordered, ripping off the envelope and setting it aside while she further inspected Loker's condition. She checked for a pulse, realizing she hadn't done so yet, and was relieved to find a faint, steady beat against her fingers. Torres immediately made the call while Cal stood numbly by. He bent over and snatched up the envelope, ripping it open and pulling out the contents while he turned away from the women.

Another note.

Another photo.

_Dr. Lightman,_

_ I saw you! But you didn't see me. Perhaps you should look a little harder. I got bored with playing with Mr. Loker. He was tough, but not tough enough. I hope you're more motivated now! It would be a shame for Mr. Loker to suffer for nothing. Ready for round two?_

Cal took a deep breath before he dared himself to look at the photo. He slid the note away from the glossy page and gulped as his eyes encountered the image.

Ria this time.

She was getting coffee, smiling at the employee across the counter, obviously unaware to the danger that crept towards her. Just like Eli.

The metallic silver pen glimmered against the page, mocking Cal.

_It's no fun to lose a talented natural._

Anger and frustration engulfed Cal and his eyes burned with his hate. Eli was a mess just because this lunatic wanted to play a game. A game Lightman wasn't sure he'd win. His mind flooded with useless threats as he was lost to fury.

"Cal! Get over here and help!" Foster called desperately, shrugging off her coat and using it dab Eli's wounds. Cal knelt by her, unsure if he'd be any use at all. He didn't want to look at Loker's condition, gulping away that rare guilt that lumped in his throat.

"Hold this against his shoulder. We need to apply pressure." she instructed. "Torres, why don't you call Reynolds; I have a feeling we'll need him." Foster shot Cal a look of fear and proceeded to tenderly sweep Eli's hair out of his face.

The ambulance sirens squealed around the parking garage.

It wasn't long until the paramedics arrived, rushing out of their vehicle and taking over the medical emergency. Their serious expressions and rushed speech did nothing to calm the worry over Eli's condition. As they loaded him into the ambulance, Gillian stared longingly with the want to follow him to the hospital. But Cal knew that she had urgent matters to tend to before she could make a trip to the hospital. She'd let the doctors and surgeons do their job while she took care of the rest of her career family. Cal was in trouble and he knew he couldn't keep the secret any longer.

* * *

"Cal, what's going on?" Foster demanded. They were grouped together in Cal's office with Torres and Reynolds, all eyes focused on the scientist. "What is that?" She pointed at the envelope that was loosely gripped in Cal's hand, her brow furrowed into a confused expression. He sighed, seeing no point in lying; the effort wasn't worth it. Still, he was reluctant to tell them that their death or injury could be at hand. He didn't want to tell them that Eli wasn't going to be the last to be tossed out of a van like a lump of trash.

"We have a problem." he muttered lazily, tossing the envelope on the desk and plopping into his chair. Reynolds picked up the envelope and pulled out the papers, his face set into a tough frown. As he stared at the pages, small traces of concern drifted into his features and he glanced up at Cal with a serious and worried look.

"A lunatic is challenging me." Cal sighed. "Apparently, my employees are the ante."

"How long has this been going on?" Ben inquired, still holding onto the note and photo. Cal was quiet for a moment as he pondered the problem and the consequences.

"Since this morning. I got a text and a package on the doorstep." Cal explained, staring off into an invisible world. "I didn't know if Loker had really been abducted until I got this." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out the photo, sliding it across the desk to Ben. The other three stared at the horrid image, cringing at the details.

"And you didn't bother to call me about this?" Reynolds huffed angrily. "This isn't something you should keep to yourself, Lightman!"

"I thought I could handle it myself!" Cal protested. He hadn't expected the psychopath to blend so well within the crowd. There wasn't a single person he could even suspect out of the several he encountered.

"Obviously, you can't. Loker's in the hospital!" Ben shouted, disappointed with Cal's pride and secrecy.

"I've got it, alright?" Cal replied angrily, sighing with his own frustration. "I just couldn't find the bloody madman." The team went silent as they thought over the frightening developments of their night and what may result from this catastrophe.

"Who's next?" Foster whispered, looking up at Reynolds. He clenched his jaw and stared at the photo in his hand.

"Torres." he grumbled. Ria's face went stark white as the answer reached her ears. Lightman observed her behavior for a moment, that annoying guilt sticking to his throat again.

"I…I'm next?" she asked in fearful disbelief. Of course, the truth was much too evident on her coworker's faces to deny. Then again, maybe it was better to know and be prepared, rather than be whisked away suddenly like Eli was. He never knew what was going on.

"Oh, how horrible it must've been for Loker…" Gillian mumbled to herself, the sorrow swimming in her eyes.

"I won't let it get worse." Ben snarled.

* * *

Cal stared out of the window at the first lights of the morning, shrouded in thoughts and concerns. He couldn't motivate himself to go home, but he was too deep in his own mind to really care. Reynolds had arranged protection for Ria, snatching up a partner and staying at her place for security. Another two feds were stationed at Foster's house; they couldn't afford any risks.

A papery sliding sound came from his door and he turned his head to investigate. A white envelope slipped under the door with his name written on the front. Immediately, he lurched from his chair and quickly made his way over to grab the note. He ripped open the envelope and pulled the note out. His eyes immediately scanned over the page.

_Dr. Lightman,_

_ Ooh! This game is getting fun. I see you have your F.B.I. buddy helping, but I love a challenge! Just wait, I will get Ria Torres. That is, if you don't find me first._

Cal ripped open the door and ran out of his office towards the front doors. He had to, at least, catch a glimpse of the writer. Cal needed some clues to find this lunatic quicker. Unfortunately, when he reached the front, the doors were already swinging shut and Cal lost all hope of catching up to his challenger.

_I will get Ria Torres._

Cal shook the thought from his mind and rubbed his hand across his forehead. What had he gotten himself into? What had he gotten his team into? How long would this go on?

He sat on the floor and leaned against a wall, reading the note over and over again. He'd met his share of crazies, but he knew he could get them, even if he did encounter some problems along the way. What happened to Loker was more than just a problem; it was proof that even if he caught this lunatic, he may still lose. His goal wasn't just to put this psychopath in an insane asylum; it was to protect his team. This time, he wasn't the only one at risk and he couldn't undo what had been done to Loker.

And the madman had just slipped through his fingers.

How could he fight shadows? He couldn't.

* * *

Ria sat herself next to Eli with a worried sigh. Ben and his partner stood just outside the room, watching the passing people with a suspicious eye. She came to see her coworker as soon as visiting hours began, leaving Lightman a voicemail to explain where she was. She wasn't surprised that he didn't answer and definitely wasn't shocked to find that he wasn't with Loker. Most likely, he was still at the office, mulling over the recent occurrences and future fears.

"Hey."

Ria looked up from her spacing to see Dr. Foster standing in the doorway.

"I saw Reynolds outside." she explained with a nervous smile, venturing in a little further. She took a short look around, a hopeful look on her face. Ria knew she was looking for Lightman and she expected the disappointed expression that followed. Gillian quickly shook the feeling away and pulled up a chair on Eli's other side. The two of them stared at his still face for awhile, their thoughts meshing with their concerns. They were tired of trying to be tough. Both women felt it was necessary steel themselves of all indications of fear while in front of the FBI agents. Now that they were in each other's company, they felt more comfortable to let a scared gleam run across their eyes and a tense fist rest on their lap.

"Do you think Lightman will find the psychopath in time?" Ria whispered, her lungs calling for a deep breath. Gillian didn't even flinch at the question, since it was already running through her head.

"I hope so." she muttered quietly, sorry she couldn't give Torres a more positive and confidant answer. "But the FBI will protect us." Ria wanted to believe her boss, she truly did. Yet she couldn't help but think that her abduction was inevitable and loomed before her. Seeing what Eli had suffered through wasn't helping her either. She just had to face it.

_Buzzzz…_

Ria jumped as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled the device out casually and flipped it open.

_New message._

She easily opened the message, expecting some sort of demand from Lightman. Of course, it couldn't be.

A video came up on the tiny screen and Ria's heart nearly exploded.

* * *

_Author's Note: See that thing below this? It's a review button sort of thing! You should click in and tell me things. :) Please?_


	4. Boos Boos and Puppy Dogs

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: Oh my gosh! I am soooo sorry this took soooo long! I was grounded from my computer and then I was pulled into one thing and then another...then I found some motivating epic instrumental music to keep me going with ideas and typing. :D Thank you all for your kind reviews and your eagerness for more. I love you all and your sweet remarks. :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and if I take a long time again, feel free to send me a message reprimanding me! . Alright, enjoy. :)**  
**_

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**4. Boo Boos and Puppy Dogs**

Cal stared at the plasma screen with rigid anxiety. Ria and Gillian stood on each side of him, hugging themselves in hope of comfort.

"This was sent to you this morning?" Lightman inquired in a low voice. Ria nodded slowly, her eyes still glued to the video before her.

Eli was being tortured.

He glared at his torturer with a mix of malice and pain between each new infliction of abuse and swallowed every scream. As a knife plunged into his shoulder, he squeezed his eyes shut and let out a muffled cry of pain behind the duct tape. It was painful for the team to watch. What was worse…

They couldn't see the torturer at all.

Cal had no idea what to look for. He didn't know the body type, the hair color, or even the shape of the shadow of his sought for psycho. Right now, all he could see was Eli slumped in his duct tape bindings, steadily giving up the fight. Even Cal was disturbed by it and he could only imagine what Ria felt, being the next target of this cruel abuser.

"How the hell am I supposed to find this bloody git!" Cal shouted in frustration, unable to hold in his tangled feelings. Ria took a few deep breaths, then left the room with her hand over her mouth. They all wished this video didn't exist; they wanted Loker to be there with them, keeping them calm while he quietly went about to his share of work. He quietly obeyed orders, even though he naturally had a loud mouth. Eli had a tender heart, even though he didn't seem the type, but there had been so many hints. When Ria had that incident with her sister, he came to work to an empty office and automatically began to worry.

_"It's a scary world; bad things happen." _he had said amid his episode of flustered concern. Cal could understand why he was scared for them. They went out of the safety of the office and they had been caught in some frightening situations. But the team had never even thought that Loker's wellbeing would be in jeopardy. He stayed at the office usually and typed away at his keyboard. When he did go out, it was to do a little job because they needed an extra hand. Eli always smiled and had a laugh on his lips, but he always looked out for people around him.

As Ria stood outside in the hallway, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Eli was a jokester and he liked to tease, but when she needed help, he was there to provide it. When _he_ needed somebody to depend on, she reluctantly accepted and made it clear to him that she was unhappy with the burden. Now he was in the hospital after being tortured. Her mind was stuck on one thought.

Did he know that anyone cared?

That anyone cared he was gone? Tortured? Hospitalized? Did thinking of the team comfort him? Did thinking of _her_ comfort him? Or could he not get past her sharp words and Lightman's commanding behavior?

Or did he feel he was abandoned by them?

"Excuse me."

Ria looked up to find a young woman with long, glossy red hair.

"I'm new here and I don't know who…" She paused for a moment as she examined he envelope in her hand. "Eli Loker is." Ria nearly choked on her own hysteria at the name, but kept herself from looking distraught in front of the girl. She was probably a shy, new mail person that wasn't yet exposed to the gossip of the office.

"He's actually not at work for the moment, but I'll put it on his desk for him." she offered, holding out her hand.

"O-oh, okay. But can you also show me where the restroom is?"

* * *

"So, what do we know about our threat?" Gillian inquired quietly, gazing at the screen with liquid eyes.

"He's a lunatic, that's all I know." Cal grumbled. He hated the fact that it had been a day and he was hardly any closer to finding the crazy person that was out to get his team. Gillian was silent as she mulled something over in her brain.

"Wait a minute…He?" she questioned. "Are you sure it's a man?" Cal thought it over, realizing the gender of the attacker wasn't actually established; he had only assumed. Cal had been focused on the wrong thing.

"Get Ria." Cal ordered, turning to the screen and pulling up security footage from the Lightman Group. Gillian scurried out the door, leaving Cal to his own thoughts. He was frustrated that he had missed that detail; that it had deterred him from finding the lunatic. Cal rewound the security tapes from the latest recordings, casually watching time rush backwards. His eyes met a disturbing picture and his finger automatically pressed the play button to observe. Ria was walking away with a woman.

A woman.

Ria was walking away with an unknown woman.

He heard Gillian come in behind him and his blood pumped uneasily with the thought that now ailed him.

"Cal, Ria's—"

"Abducted." he finished.

* * *

"Smith just called; Loker's awake." Ben announced. Lightman and Foster were sitting in Cal's office, deep in thought. They were immediately pulled into focus by Reynolds' comment, eager for any sort of good news in their lives.

"We need to talk to him." Gillian said urgently, looking to Cal. It was true, if anybody could provide clues for the attacker, it was Eli. Lightman found no other choice and nodded in agreement. He glanced at Ben, reading the regret and sorrow in the man's eyes.

"Did Smith say something else?" he questioned in a flat tone, unsure if he wanted the answer. Ben sighed and shifted nervously.

"Loker's having a hard time with the trauma." he replied matter-of-factly, but Cal could see it bothered the agent. "The hospital staff are discouraging talking about the…situation with him for the time being." Cal breathed deeply as he let the information run through his head. How could he have fooled himself in believing that Loker would wake up the same as he was before? Was it because Eli had seemed so tough on the video?

"We'll see what Loker thinks about that." he mumbled, standing up and snatching his keys off his desk. Gillian was quick to follow and Reynolds snuck in a good bothered look before he treaded behind the classy woman.

* * *

Cal walked into Eli's room, ignoring the fear and downtrodden feeling that hung in the air. Yet, when he actually saw Loker and the look on his face, he couldn't wave that horrible feeling away. Eli's eyes were dark and distant, heavy with distress; his smile was gone, replaced by a dull, paralyzed line; and his skin was a shade of gray. His tousled wavy hair seemed drearier, having lost its shine and warm color. Everything about Eli screamed victim and shouted internal torture and pain.

He laid against the pillow, not bothering to look at Lightman or Foster, but stared at the corner of the ceiling instead. It looked more like he hadn't noticed the two, rather than the thought he disregarded their presence.

"Oi, Loker." Cal mumbled, afraid of how Loker would react. Lightman's eyes swept to Reynolds, seeing the troubled look on the agent's face. Eli hadn't responded and Cal was starting to get a tad worried.

"Oi, Loker!" he repeated, a little louder. Eli only blinked in reply, still staring off into the world only he could see; the type of world where he lived and relived his suffering. Cal was getting anxious and looked to Foster for help. She was the psychiatrist after all and she was the sweetest of the team.

"Eli." she said softly, touching his shoulder gently. Loker snapped out of his gaze and turned his head to look at her. His first expression was one of relief, but embarrassment.

"Foster?" he croaked. "When did you get here?" Cal observed Gillian with interest, hoping to read her verdict through her face. She was obviously concerned and had reason to plaster a fake smile on her face. Hopefully, Eli was too distraught to notice her expression wasn't genuine.

"I just got here." she answered, then gestured to Cal. "Lightman's here too." Eli turned his gaze to his boss, looking surprised when his pupils settled on Cal. Apparently, he didn't notice Lightman was there.

"How are you feeling?" Cal asked, using a softer tone than usual. Eli glanced away nervously and tensed his hands.

"Fine…I-I'm fine." he responded quietly. Lightman couldn't buy that.

"Loker, you've only lied to me twice," Cal commented. "once was when you tried to get Ria to cover for you, and the other time…" Eli looked up at Lightman with the eyes of a guilty child. "…is right now. You are _not_ fine."

"I-I'm a little troubled right now, th-that's all. I'll get over it." Loker stuttered. Foster shot Lightman a worried look.

"We don't want you to be uncomfortable," Gillian sighed. "but can you tell us what happened? Or anything about who abducted you?" Eli thought for a moment, but his quickened breathing didn't escape Lightman's notice.

"I…" he began, squeezing his eyes shut and swiping a trembling hand over his face. "I…I…" His voice was edging on falling apart and Lightman found himself worrying more and more while he observed his employee. Gillian was the first to stop the situation from furthering.

"It's okay, Eli. You don't need to think about it any longer." she crooned, keen on getting Loker away from the traumatizing memory as fast as possible. She set a hand on his to comfort him, surprised when he pulled his hand away.

"No! I want to!" he protested, albeit weakly. Reynolds pursed his lips as he watched the disturbing scene ahead of him, sure that he would never look at Eli the same again.

"No, you don't need to, Eli. There's no rush." Gillian shushed, rubbing his shoulder compassionately.

"There is a rush, I know there is." Loker panted as he pushed for the full, detailed memory. "I know they have Ria." Cal's eyebrows quickly furrowed while his eyes scoured Eli's expression; one of pain, worry, determination.

"They?" Gillian whispered.

"There was more than one." Eli sighed, calming himself down with deep breaths. "I remember the first guy especially; I think his hobby is using knives." Gillian looked away out of disturbance, but quickly returned her gaze to the fallen employee.

"Can you remember anymore?" Cal asked eagerly, wanting desperately to obtain any hint as to who these people were.

"One of the girls looked at me like…" Eli paused and stared at his bandaged hands. "like she would literally eat me." Lightman waited for more, hardly able to hold his anxiety. But he had enough control to keep the hunger for information from causing tension in the room. "Another girl would turn off the camera and tell me…tell me all the things they could do to Ria." He shuddered and curled a little into himself. "I only saw three, but they could actually convince themselves to be someone they aren't. One second, that redhead would look like she was going take a bite out of me, and the next she would be an innocent teen with a love for yoga." Eli was quiet and the air filled with an uncomfortable silence. Gillian used her experience as a psychiatrist, recognizing the thick feeling of horror and burden in the room.

"What is it Eli? What's bothering you?" she inquired gently. He swallowed hard, then turned his eyes to hers.

"The guy bought a dog for one of his acts…then he ripped it apart in front of me later…" he whispered, his eyes glazing over with tears. "I don't want to know what sort of hell Ria is in right now."

"Was the dog big?" Cal asked, staring off into a memory.

"Yeah." Eli answered quietly. "He was so loyal and trusting...I can't get the look of his eyes out of my head…"

Cal remembered that dog.

* * *

_Author's Note: See that link on the bottom? It's a review thing and I really want one...can I have one please? :) I would really appreciate it! :D_


	5. Looking for Owner of Lost Marbles

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: Hey! Another chapter! Look at me go. :) Making progress through this story...thanks for all the reviews guys, they are heart warming. :) Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**  
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**5. Looking for Owner of Lost Marbles**

Gillian felt awful leaving Eli behind. The longer they stayed at the hospital, quietly discussing the case in the corner, the more distraught Loker seemed to be getting. By the time they left, he was clenching his fists so tightly that his nails _must've_ been digging into his palms. The look in his eyes was paranoid and distressed, and he was back to staring at the corner of the ceiling. She knew Cal was as worried about him as she was; she caught Lightman observing the young man thoroughly, even though he tried to look casual about it. Unfortunately, they couldn't focus on Eli right now.

They needed to save Ria.

But she couldn't shake the guilt away as Cal pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Eli was still there, trapped in his own head. She knew the shadows under his eyes weren't going to go away overnight…nor would the nightmares.

"He'll be alright, love." Lightman assured her, giving her a small smile. If she didn't know better, she would've believed him. But she knew Cal enough to know that he was probably lying to console her. Besides, she was the certified and educated psychologist and she knew a traumatized victim when she saw one. She knew Cal did too.

"Focus on finding our abductors." she said softly, blinking back tears and nervously smoothing out her dress.

"Now I know what to look for." he muttered. He knew what the redhead looked like from the security footage and he slightly remembered the man with the dog. If he caught either of them, he might be able to get the other two of the psycho team.

Then he would find Ria.

* * *

Emily was standing in the hallway when Cal and Gillian came back to the office. Her face held fear and suspicion; two things Lightman didn't want to see.

"What's going on, dad? I keep hearing rumors…about Loker a-and Torres…" she explained, folding her arms nervously to help comfort herself. Cal and Gillian stayed quiet, never intending the young girl to be exposed to the current danger of her father's job.

"It's alright, love. I'm just working on a tough case, that's all." he assured her, rubbing her shoulders gently with his hands. "We'll solve it and everything will be alright." She stared at him with a look of disbelief, glancing to Foster for some other answer.

"Where's Eli and Ria?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes as Lightman struggled within himself. How could he lie to Emily? It was for her own protection and to keep him from worrying about it, that's what. But what would he say to her? She was too smart for her own good.

"I'm sorry, honey, but Eli's in the hospital and Ria's missing." Gillian answered quietly. Cal shot her a look of betrayal, but turned back to Ria. Perhaps he was wrong to think Foster had made the wrong choice, seeing as he should be truthful to Emily and she would've found out eventually. But, he didn't want her to see this, to _know_ these things happened.

"What?" Emily replied, exasperated. "How did that happen? What's going on?"

"You don't need to know any more, love. Just…go to your mum's and stay there." Cal told her in a quiet voice, hoping she would override her curiosity and shock to obey him… Fat chance that would happen.

"No, I want to know what's going on." she said stubbornly, staring at her dad with an expectant look. Emily got that from her mother. Lightman sighed and gazed at the floor for a moment. He didn't really have time for this, but Emily was the most important thing in the world to him. Cal didn't want to leave her standing in the hall, excluded from a piece of her father's life.

"In my office." he muttered, putting his arm around her shoulders and guiding her through the workplace. Once in his office, he shut the door while Emily seated herself on the couch inside.

"Dad, what's happening?" she asked fearfully, looking up at him with her big, brown eyes. He could never resist that face and it killed him that he was giving her such sorry news.

"There's somebody threatening my team, love." he answered in a near whisper. "Loker was the first victim and Torres was only taken today."

"That's awful!" she exclaimed. "What exactly did they do to Eli?" Cal glanced at the floor with regret already sprouting in his mind.

"They tortured him and dumped at my feet last night." he mumbled. Cal didn't even have to look at his daughter to know she was stunned by the new information.

"It's a dangerous case, Emily, and I don't want you anywhere near it." he explained, sitting beside her and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "These people don't care who they hurt and I don't want to see you end up like Loker. Go home to your mum and stay with her at all times. I don't want you to be a victim." Emily looked troubled, but nodded in understanding. Cal gave her a small smile and stood up from his seat.

"Dad...?"

"What, love?" He turned to her, seeing a shine of tears.

"Do you think you'll find Ria before their done with her?" she inquired sorrowfully. Cal paused, shifting uncomfortably when he realized that, for once, he wasn't actually sure what he would do.

"I don't know." he answered shamefully. A silence filled the room as Emily completely comprehended what sort of trouble her father and his team was in. She was scared and Cal could see it.

"Go home, alright?"

Quiet invaded the room as Emily pondered these new threats.

"Okay."

Lightman stroked her hair lovingly before he left his office, the feeling of overwhelming stress blooming in his chest. Could he find Ria in time? He didn't know. He wished he did.

* * *

Ria awoke with a gasp. She was in a nightmare. No, she was in reality.

She wished she was dreaming.

Her body was duct taped to a familiar chair in a familiar concrete room, splattered with familiar red stains.

With familiar red stains of Eli.

It was like she jumped right into the film of Eli and took his place. She took a moment to scour the area, looking for any signs of life in the dim lighting of the place. Lucky for her, there wasn't a soul, not even an evil glint of lunatic eyes. All that accompanied her was the dreaded camera that captured the worst time in Eli's life. Although, she knew she was only sharing the beginning of Loker's experience. She still had a whole day to go before she could be the veteran that her partner already was.

Ria shook violently in her chair, trying to wriggle herself free somehow. But duct tape was as sticky as she remembered. Knowing how she felt now, she was sorry for Eli. He had been through more than this lonely, fearful situation. Loker hadn't just dreaded what was next…he _lived through_ what was next.

How was he doing?

Was he awake? How was he emotionally? Was he completely broken? Or…was he dead…?

"No, don't think that way." she muttered to herself. "Loker's fine, he has to be." She felt a little crazy talking to herself but, on the contrary, it was what was keeping her sane. It was reassuring to hear an ally speak to her…even if it was just her.

"Just remember all the weird things Loker says." she reminded herself with a small smile, trying to push away all the dark thoughts in her head.

Eli was keeping her calm.

* * *

Cal sat with Gillian in the small café, staring at her with pure distaste over his menu. She glanced up at him every now and then, obviously getting nervous under his gaze.

"What? What did I do?" she demanded, slamming down the menu.

"You told Emily." he replied with a certain satisfaction, returning to his menu.

"I don't regret it." she responded stiffly, glaring at him before returning to her own list of dishes. A thick silence followed as a young waitress approached them.

"Howdy, what can I getchya?" she asked, flipping her red hair over her shoulder and clicking her pen.

"You can kill her, that's what." Lightman grumbled, gesturing to Foster. Gillian looked appalled by his suggestion and pursed her lips angrily. Cal could see a slight shadow of glee in the girl's face and turned back to his companion.

"I hope that psycho gets you." he growled. Gillian slapped down her menu again and sat up straight with a puff of anger.

"I should've known you were a quitter." she argued. "Leave it to you to lose a contest."

"My, my…you two seem mighty riled up." the waitress chuckled. Cal glanced at her before picking up a knife to his right and standing, raising the knife above his head.

The girl grinned.

Cal dropped the knife as it clattered to the table, leaving Foster breathing heavily across from him.

"I'm gonna need to question you." said a gruff voice behind the waitress. She looked shocked, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Reynolds snatched her hands and pulled them behind her into a tight handcuff, a somber look across his guise. Cal watched with a serious stare as the agent pushed her out of the café, reading her rights, unsure if he had started his hunt in time.

"Did you really have to go that far? I almost had a heart attack!" Foster exclaimed. Lightman turned to look at her, smirking when he saw her with a hand against her collarbone and still huffing worriedly.

"Sorry, love." he apologized, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I had to be sure she was a lunatic. Some girls just like relationship drama, but not killing. She was clearly disturbed."

"Well, I'm glad we caught the right psycho." she puffed, her brow furrowing a bit.

* * *

"So, which one of your writes the notes." Cal questioned as he paced in front of the cuffed redhead. "Is the other woman in your team, or is it the man? He looks like he practices elegant penmanship."

"How did you know?" she spat. "We were fooling you! How did you find out?"

"I have a very loyal employee, carrot top. You didn't traumatize him enough to sew his mouth shut." Cal replied nonchalantly. She cursed and then suddenly smiled evilly.

"But we have the Torres girl." she gloated. Cal stayed quiet, hate filling him up slowly.

"Where are your partners?" he probed, shoving his hands in his pockets importantly. The girl's face softened into a simple smile, holding a creepy coating.

"I don't know." she answered sweetly, a giggle threatening to come through.

"But you three work so well together. Don't they trust you?" Cal inquired in a mocking tone. For a few seconds, her smile disappeared then returned to a grin.

"We function together, but we work separately." she told him, raising an eyebrow. Her petite figure somehow made her seem more frightening; the monster hidden inside a bunny.

"What does that mean?" he demanded, getting more and more impatient with her.

"Figure it out." she whispered, her eyes sparkling with joy. Cal breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down…but it didn't work. He slammed his hands on the metal table, fire burning in his expression.

"I don't have time for your riddles!" he shouted. "I just want my bloody employees back!" The redhead frowned and stared up at him angrily.

"No need to shout." she told him a little bitterly. "I don't know where they are because we split when we get ready for our acts. I only know where your precious Torres is."

"Tell me and I won't bash your bloody head in." he growled.

* * *

_Author's Note: Phew...intense. :o Look at Cal go! :D Please review! Pleeeease! :)_


	6. Pocketful of Dead Posies

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me" and, sadly, I'm not a screen writer for it either...  
_**

_Author's Note: Hey! I didn't wait a month! Alright, i hope you like this next update. :) A bit of Eli emotional whump, since I always have to have immense Eli whump in my tales... But we're getting closer! Anyway, go read and enjoy!...hopefully! :D_**_  
_**

* * *

**6. Pocketful of Dead Posies**

Cal stared at the redhead angrily through the glass, frustrated that he couldn't get the answer out of her. She just grinned and laughed, that awful, evil glint in her eyes. Just spending the last half hour with her gave Lightman a taste of what Eli went through and what Ria may be experiencing.

"Her name is Dahlia McClellan." Ben sighed, dropping her folder on the desk in front of Cal; on Eli's desk. "She's been visiting a chat room that she shares with two others. They started talking about acting and the thrill of drama in a larger chat room with other actors. After awhile, they branched off on their own and the conversations got more elevated into some disturbing material. Just some overly obsessive lunatics with a liking for drama."

Cal was quiet, since this moment was usually when Loker would say some remark about Ben's information. He could almost imagine the young man saying, "Puts a whole new meaning to the term 'drama queen.'" Lightman shook the feeling of loss away when the room remained silent and somewhat cold.

"What are the names of the other two?" he asked in a low voice. Ben glanced at the other folders before answering.

"Thomas Frankford and Sarah Jenson. I've already sent out some agents to pick 'em up." Reynolds reported professionally, giving the appearance that the case didn't get to him. Lightman knew otherwise. Even _he_ couldn't keep the case from affecting his thinking and feelings; it was almost driving him mad.

"That's assuming they're there to get 'picked up.'" Cal mumbled, irritated by the possibility of error and continuation of this horrible nightmare. He was usually more careless than careful in these sorts of situations…but these were _his_ people. Eli had to suffer through questions that pushed him closer to the torture he'd already gone through and Ria was alone and probably scared. Just as long as Emily was never tossed into the mix…

Ben's phone rang and he quickly answered it while Cal waited for the most crucial information: were all the torturers caught? It was agonizing to listen to the deep hum of the agent's voice and not knowing what the answer was. Ben's face was turned away from him as he took the call and Cal found himself longing to see what expression was brushed over the man's guise.

Reynolds sighed and flipped his phone shut.

It wasn't a good sigh.

Cal and Gillian gazed at Ben with eager eyes, hoping for relief, but feeling as if it wasn't within their reach. Something just _had_ to go wrong; nothing about this situation was right.

"They picked up Sarah Jones, but…" Ben muttered while Cal's stomach squirmed uncomfortably. "Frankford is nowhere to be found." Foster let her head fall into her hands as she wearily comprehended the information. Somebody was still out there, carrying on the sick game and waving the threats in their faces.

Gillian sighed as a sorrowful thought fluttered their minds. Cal stood up, determined to do what he needed to do to get Ria back safely, but Foster was hesitant in the idea.

"Do we really have to visit Eli again? What more could we ask him?" she asked, almost pleadingly. Cal's fortitude was always shaken by that voice, yet he never let it shatter his willpower. Eli said he wanted to help anyway; that was all Cal could think of to justify hanging him over the fire again.

Loker would always pull himself up again.

* * *

Ria didn't like the eerie silence. It was the sort of quiet that was waiting and hoping for some sort of awful disturbance. A train had passed at least a half an hour ago, but it had since become painfully soundless again. Torres didn't like that feeling and there was only so much that could help her forget it.

There was a footstep.

Then she couldn't ignore the screaming silence.

Heavy thunks of feet sounded slowly outside the door, steadily coming closer and closer. Ria's lungs started to work harder out of fear, out of the automatic need for oxygen and survival. The body attempted to give her a clear head, but her mind wouldn't allow it. She didn't know what to expect and she didn't have someone to guide her through it. Torres was being pushed forward blind and she could only hope she'd come out alive…or better off than Eli.

Ria gulped, trying to moisten her dry throat. Her fear became heavier and heavier as the footsteps stopped in front of the door and her heart skipped several beats when the door creaked open.

_Thump-bup._

_ Thump-bup._

_ Thump-bup._

The sounds of her anxious heart pumped loudly in her ears while she watched a single foot slip through the doorway.

_Thump-bup._

_Thump-bup._

_Thump-bup, thump-bup, THUMP-BUP._

Before she knew it, a pair of wicked eyes met hers and a frightening grin gleamed across her vision.

"Good afternoon, Miss Torres." he greeted in a sickly sweet tone. She didn't reply, too concentrated on her breathing and keeping the images of Eli's torture out of her mind. "How did you like the video I sent you this morning?" Ria cringed. "Awww, you didn't like it? How about we try the sequel?" It was then Ria realized there was a television in the room. She could barely see the reflection of dull light on the screen, but as he turned it on, the square illuminated brightly. He connected a laptop to the TV, sitting casually on the long table it sat on and typing away on the keyboard.

"I didn't want you to wonder what was going to happen to you like he did. This oughtta clear things up a bit." he muttered as another video popped up on the screen. "It's interesting what a man will do when nobody's watching." Ria wanted to turn away, but part of her wanted to watch; to unveil the mystery of her future.

"I'll be back later." he said, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Ria's eyes swiveled from the doorway to the screen, still unsure if she should watch.

Eli was sitting alone in the concrete room, shivering with his head bowed. The bloody stain in his shoulder indicated it was after his worst torture and the duct tape was no longer over his mouth. Right now, all she could hear was his rapid breathing and the occasional gulp. His head rolled back to look at the ceiling and Ria was surprised to see a shine of tears going down his face.

"Somebody please find me!" he called with desperation, his head lolling back to his chest. "Damn it, somebody help me…" His voice had dwindled into a croak, lost in his own emotions. Ria held back tears as she watched him sob to himself, slipping into near silence.

"Oh God, whatever I have done to deserve this, I'm sorry…" he prayed amid his crying. "I won't tease Torres anymore…I won't _ever_ lie to Lightman again…Just let somebody find me here; let me be free again…" Ria bit her lip as her name poked into his prayer, somehow feeling guilty. There was a moment of silence while Loker's breathing calmed a little.

"God, don't let me die here alone."

A tear rolled down Ria's cheek as she realized that this was when Eli was giving up. He was losing hope.

The silence wasn't comforting.

"Nobody's going to find me, are they?" Eli mumbled, still talking to the being above. "They probably don't even know I'm gone…"

Complete quiet.

"I really am dying alone."

The serenity in his voice is what disturbed Ria most.

* * *

Cal stepped into Eli's room, only to clench his fists in frustration. His eyes weren't happy as they settled on the sight he never expected.

Emily.

Hadn't he told her to go home? Didn't she realize what sort of danger she could be in?

"Emily, what are you doing here?" he demanded, interrupting her quiet chat with Eli. Right now, he couldn't care less about Loker. He was too blinded by his irritation to pay attention to him for the moment.

"I thought I'd give Eli a visit before I went home." she said innocently, staring at him with her big eyes. "He just needs somebody to talk to…"

"I don't care! What did I say?" he said sternly, taking a step towards Emily.

"To go home…" she mumbled, nervously rubbing her hands on her biceps.

"Exactly! Now go home!" he ordered, causing her to flinch and turn shyly to Eli.

"It was nice to see you." she muttered, giving him an apologetic smile. Emily stood to leave when she felt a weak pat on her arm, turning back to look at Loker. Eli glanced at Cal before he said anything, a flash of disappointment in his expression.

"He's just doing this because he cares about you." he croaked. Emily nodded, pausing before she quickly left the room like a shamed dog. With a huff, Cal collected himself, rubbing a hand over his face as he thought about getting a cup of coffee later.

"How are you doing, Loker?" Gillian inquired softly. Cal looked up at the young employee, actually focusing on him without his daughter as a distraction. But…

Did he look paler?

He certainly didn't look much better than he had a few hours ago. His skin was definitely developing a weary color and the dark circles under his eyes had only gotten darker. His scared gaze was swimming with paranoia and insomnia. Eli looked…sicker.

"I-I'm okay." he whispered, looking down.

"You don't have to lie, Eli." Gillian told him kindly. "We understand if you aren't doing well." He stared at his hands, the colorless fingers woven fretfully.

"What are you here for?" he asked in a small voice, eager to change the topic. Gillian took a deep breath, clearly worried for his wellbeing. Cal observed Loker carefully before he proceeded, new to this idea of a broken Eli.

"Do remember anything about where you were held captive?" he questioned, continuing to watch Loker's face. Eli thought about it, pondering hard as his troubled eyes squinted.

"I remember…I remember a train." he mumbled, his eyes looking at something in the distance. "I heard a train while I was there."

"Anything else?" Cal urged anxiously, coming closer to Eli.

"Well, I…I was…I was a little distracted…" he stuttered, clenching the bed sheets out of fear and avoiding Cal's face altogether.

"Do you remember anything else or no?" Lightman repeated, staring directly into Loker's gaze.

"I…I-I…I…" Eli stammered, his eyes roving all around the room in an attempt to avoid Cal's. His vision stopped and his eyes widened while he stared at something behind Cal. "I…"

"You what?" Cal asked. Eli didn't answer, his sights still set on the mystery spot behind Lightman. Gillian followed his gaze to the door, just in time to catch a man quickly moving from the doorway.

"That's him…!" Eli gasped, suddenly void of breath. Ben immediately ran out of the room, looking both ways before he saw the one man shoving his way past nurses and visitors.

Time for a chase.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks so much all you wonderful readers and reviewers! But, can I ask for a teensy favor...? Please review this chapter. :) Again, thanks you guys; love ya bunches for reading my stuff. :D_


	7. Capture the Flag

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me."_**

_Author's note: Hey, sorry guys. I was suddenly caught in college things and then i was whisked away on more vacation. But, it was pleasant. :) Also, when I got home I watched all my recorded shows only to see...a guy from my high school in the Leverage episode! I was shocked and excited and I didn't know what to think! But it was super awesome to see that. Anyhoo...here's the final chapter...kinda short, but I hope it wraps things up nicely, because, frankly, I am very done with this story and I want it to be oooooverr...plus, I already have plans for another story. Also, any suggestions on other fandoms I should try? Now, go read! :D_**_  
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* * *

**7. Capture the Flag**

Ben ran with everything he had. With quick apologies, he shoved his way past innocent bystanders and chased the man who had put Eli in the hospital and intended to do the same to Ria. If he caught this man, the nightmare would be almost over. All that would be left was to find Ria , wherever she may be.

He needed to get Frankford.

His legs pushed him faster and the space between him and Frankford shrunk slowly. Ben's heart pounded with the hope of success and his legs suddenly took control of themselves as he jumped and watched as his hands came closer and closer to Thomas Frankford's back.

Suddenly, there was a collision.

Ben had him, wriggling beneath him like a helpless worm.

* * *

"Here, Eli, take a drink of water." Foster said softly as she offered him a cup of clear liquid. He took it in both hands, but as his hands shook violently, the water spilled down the sides of the cup. He looked to Gillian with pleading eyes. She caught the hint and took the cup from him, gently helping him sip the water.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded gingerly, leaning back on his pillow wearily and nearly blending in with the whiteness of the sheets.

Footsteps found their way into the room.

"Caught him, Lightman." Ben huffed as he pushed forward the cuffed psycho with distaste. Eli's eyes roved every which way to avoid eye contact with his torturer and his troubling past.

Lightman watched the lunatic with curiosity, wondering what step he should take next in this game. But that's what it was: a game. A game that Cal had now won.

"Looks like I win." Cal stated, coming towards him with a wicked glint in his eye. "I found all of your players in this game. Now you have to tell me where my employee is." Frankford watched Lightman with an observant eye, glancing at Loker every now and then.

"I suppose you're right. You've won the game and I owe you a reward. Get your notebook ready, because I will only say this once." Thomas replied, grinning evilly. Reynolds immediately dialed the phone for a unit to be set out at once and awaited the lunatic's answer. "It's near the tracks." he explained and proceeded to give away the address with a gleeful smile.

"It was a fun game, Dr. Lightman." he said cheerfully, then looked to Loker. "And you were an incredibly fun toy." Eli cringed and sunk further into his pillow, willing himself to disappear.

"Goodbye, Mr. Frankford." Cal mumbled, signaling for Reynolds to push the criminal out of the room and off to a proper holding cell for him. "And good riddance…"

They could hear Ben calling units to the address Ria was held at while he handed off the man to the agents outside the door.

This game was almost over, they just had to recapture their employee and make it back to base.

* * *

Ria sat in the empty room, watching as Eli continued to slump further in his chair, awaiting his final death. In his case, he had no idea what would happen; he didn't know that the only intention of the lunatics was to hospitalize him. He didn't know if he was going to die or what. But she knew that he wanted to die at that very moment. She could tell simply by his body language. If she got back, no…_when_ she got back, she was going straight to the hospital to see Eli. She watched what he'd gone through, and she knew it better than anyone else in the team. They both understood what had happened to each other, and she wasn't going to leave Eli to deal with the grief on his own.

A muffled shout brought her out of her thoughts. Her ears strained, trying to determine if it was the freak she'd seen before or not. The deep, gruff voice seemed oddly familiar, but she was sure it wasn't the man who was here before.

"Go!" the voice shouted just outside the door and a man kicked the door open with a sturdy kick.

Ria almost cried when she saw Reynolds walking through that door.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked gruffly as he cut her out of her restraints. She nodded, trying hard not to let out any tears. "You're safe now. We got 'em all." Ria smiled and sniffled a little as she glanced at the TV screen. Reynolds followed her eyes, pausing as he watched the sad footage of Loker.

Eli cried bitterly.

There was an awkward silence as Ben and the other agents watched the tape with sorrow filling their eyes. Reynolds looked more disturbed by it than anybody.

"I want to go to the hospital." Ria stated clearly. Ben looked back at her, taking in her determined expression and stealing a look at the screen every now and then. He couldn't deny her request. He knew that Eli needed her and she probably wouldn't be able to sleep until she knew she had done what she could for her close coworker.

"Alright, we'll getchya to the hospital." he promised, beckoning over another agent to help him cut her from her restraints. Ria smiled, hardly caring when the tape was ripped painfully off her skin.

* * *

Gillian watched Eli fearfully, as if she was afraid he would suddenly crumble into tiny little dust particles. He looked like he could. Even Cal found himself wishing he was in the boy's place. Loker recovered quickly from shock and most anything else, but he still had that short time of agony and torture. All he needed was somebody he could talk to, but Gillian didn't know what to say, and Cal suspected he would only say something to worsen the situation. Besides, if Foster couldn't fix it, then who could?

"Brought you a visitor, Loker." Ben announced as he entered the room. Ria walked slowly out from behind the agent, rubbing at her wrists as she went. Gillian could see an expression on Ria's face that she recognized; a look of a helper.

"Maybe it's best we leave them alone." Foster suggested, pulling Cal's arm along as she pushed Agent Reynolds back out of the door. They chanced one more glance behind them before disappearing behind a closed door.

"Eli?" Ria said softly as she came closer and took a seat next to her coworker. He looked up at her, his eyes dark and heavy with awful experiences.

"I'm glad you're okay." he croaked, swallowing painfully.

"I saw what went through." she stated immediately, not wasting any time on silence or idle chit-chat. "How you didn't know if you were going to die there alone, or if somebody would find you." Eli gazed at her with empty eyes, his guise giving the impression that he was confused by her statement. What would it help?

Ria stood and wrapped her arms around Eli in a tight hug, holding him close to her, but also being careful of his injuries.

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you." she apologized as she continued to embrace the broken man in front of her. "If we knew, we would've done everything to find you. We would never leave you behind." He weakly put his own arms around her, gratefully clinging to her as part of his troubles melted away.

"You won't die alone." she mumbled, knowing he was thankful for her reassurance as he hugged her tighter, despite the weakness in his muscles.

"Thank you, Torres." he muttered into her shoulder. She smiled, willing to keep up this embrace for as long as he needed it.

* * *

Eli collapsed into his office chair, sighing as he stretched out his fingers. The team watched him closely to make sure he was really well enough to come in to The Lightman Group. After a few minutes of watching him healthily and happily log into the system, they were satisfied with their observations.

"Glad you're okay, Loker." Foster said, smiling before she got back to work.

"Get crackin' on those video files." Lightman barked. His expression softened and he patted Loker gently on the shoulder. "Glad to have you back." He too went his merry way to finish work around the office.

"Do you need anything?" Ria asked, seating herself beside him while he opened up various files on the computer.

"Well…" Eli started, pausing for awhile as he turned and stared at her. "I could really use one of those cozy, long Ria hugs." he told her, giving her a wink. She laughed and patted his knee.

"I'll let you know when they're available." she teased, still chuckling as she left the analysis room. Eli watched her go with vague interest, then shrugged and went back to his office chores.

He smiled as he remembered her words:

"You won't die alone."

That's all Eli needed.

_**Fin.**_

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**Author's Note: Yeah...hope that was okay. Anyway, please review on how you think the story was. :) And for my next tale...I'm bringing in Eli's older brother! Just for some brotherly bonding and bickering. It should be pretty good...I hope.**  
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